Saatva vs Leesa – Which One is the Better Option for Your Sleep?

Saatva and Leesa are two of relatively fresh brands in the mattress industry that have made waves through their online-only business models: they’ve drastically reduced the cost at which consumers are able to get their hands on high-end sleep products.

The Saatva is a hybrid innerspring mattress while the Leesa is a hybrid memory foam mattress, so you might be wondering why I would be comparing between two starkly different materials. The reason is that Leesa is one of those unique viscoelastic products that retains a bit of bounce, and is therefore somewhat comparable to a hybrid viscoelastic/innerspring such as Saatva.

So here’s my Saatva vs Leesa comparison which will hopefully help you decide which of these responsive mattresses is better suited to your sleep requirements.

Breakdown of the Saatva

Construction

The Saatva is composed of two different innerspring coil layers, topped by a viscoelastic Euro top layer and an organic cotton cover:

Cover

The Saatva’s cover is made from pure organic cotton and is responsible for a cool, soft surface feel.

Euro Top

A memory foam Euro top layer is present right underneath the cover, lending the mattress a slightly contouring feel and adding to its aesthetic appeal thanks to its seamless integration with the lower layers.

First Layer

The first proper layer of the Saatva is a slender 3/8-inch viscoelastic affair, and it enhances how the mattress adapts to your posture upon initial contact. The thin nature of this layer ensures that this is achieved without significantly sacrificing the springy response afforded by the lower layers.

Second Layer

The second layer is made up of 14-gauge, 4” long individually wrapped comfort coils. They are called comfort coils because the manufacturer has incorporated them into the ‘comfort’ layer of the mattress, and their job is to provide bounce and motion isolation, while also adjusting themselves to your posture for optimal spinal alignment.

Each of these coils is encased in foam to improve the overall edge support of the mattress.

Third Layer

This layer comprises of 13-gauge, 5.5” long steel coils that are joined to each other by means of a helical wire. Their interwoven nature means that the resulting coil structure offers springy compressive support, which can easily hold the weight of your body regardless of the posture you lie in.

It should be noted that in the case of the Saatva, the springy response of this layer is slightly countered by the adaptive nature of the upper viscoelastic and pocketed coil layers.

Edge Support Perimeter

The two innerspring layers have a perimeter consisting of edge support foam which ensures that the edges of the bed don’t give away under your weight if you sit on them for extended periods of time. This also makes it easier to get in and out of bed.

Firmness and Feel

Saatva comes in three different variations of firmness:

Comfort and Support

Plush

The plush version could objectively be called a medium-soft mattress – it has an ILD of 18 so that it provides a liberal degree of cushioning, without turning into downright quicksand. Since it has the highest cushioning factor among the three variants, it also enjoys the highest degree of motion isolation and conformity.

On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being quicksand and 10 being a tabletop), the Plush Saatva could be called a 3.

Luxury Firm

This is the default firmness level that the manufacturer recommends, and it aims to cater to the needs of the largest demographic of consumers by creating a balance between conformity and springiness. For proprietary reasons, the manufacturer does not quote the ILD rating for this variant, but on the same 1 to 10 scale as described above, this mattress would be between 5 and 7.

Firm

This mattress provides the highest degree of resilience and spring with minimal cushioning and thus, has an overall ILD rating of 30. The stiffness that this variant yields ensure considerable push-back, which can contribute to better pain relief among some individuals.

Having said that, you can still expect a small amount of cushioning initially due to the viscoelastic upper layers.

Edge support

All variants, since they have an innerspring core with a dedicated edge support foam boundary, are able to sustain your weight quite decently whilst you sit on the sides.

Cooling

While the innerspring layers do contribute towards airflow, the fact remains that the two upper layers (if you count the Euro top too) are made from memory foam, which is a natural heat retainer. This makes the Saatva just a tiny bit more heat-retentive compared to the average for all mattresses.

Unique Features

Blend of conformity and springiness

The Saatva, being a viscoelastic/innerspring hybrid mattress, is able to combine the qualities of both materials: its Euro top and upper viscoelastic layer (and to some extent, the individually wrapped comfort coils) enable the mattress to mold itself to your spine, thereby eliminating pressure points.

The dual spring layers give the mattress a springy deep response, which gives it the ‘push-back’ characteristic of innerspring mattresses.

Euro top

If you’ve become a fan of Euro top mattresses after staying at a high-end hotel, chances are that you’ll enjoy the Saatva and its luxuriously plush surface resulting from its integrated Euro-top layer.

The Euro top’s construction makes it inherently cleaner and more durable than an ordinary pillow top since the latter is stitched to the mattress like an extension, while the former is seamlessly connected with the upper comfort layer.

Multiple firmness levels

By providing three distinct firmness levels, the Saatva mattress is able to provide innerspring sleep solutions for a wide range of consumers; this is not the case with the Leesa, which goes for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Breakdown of the Leesa

Construction

Cover

The foam layers are wrapped in a seamlessly woven fabric cover that is soft to the touch, and it looks incredibly well made.

First layer

The first layer of the mattress is made from 2” of proprietary Avena® foam manufactured by Carpenter Co. This foam serves as a natural latex substitute, emulating its bounce, resilience, thermal conductivity, and durability without the exorbitant price-tag.

Second layer

This layer comprises of 2” of memory foam and enables the mattress to contour itself according to your posture for the best possible spinal alignment. It has been deliberately placed underneath the Avena foam layer since the latter has better airflow properties that can transport heat away from the sleeper’s body.

Support Layer

Six inches of high-density polyfoam make up the support core of the mattress: it provides deep compressive support for your entire body and ensures that your spine stays aligned for the entire duration of your sleep.

Firmness and Feel

Comfort and Support

Since the Leesa is an all-foam mattress that aims to combine the bouncy response of latex with the adaptive feel of memory foam, you can expect a largely middling degree of firmness from it. This type of firmness is in line with Leesa’s approach of providing a singular solution that works well for all types of sleepers.

That said, don’t confuse the Leesa for a typical memory foam mattress that envelops around you excessively – the 6” layer of HD polyurethane foam is resilient enough to sustain your weight without causing you to sink inside the mattress.

Edge Support

Although the responsive nature of the Avena® and HD foam layers adds some resistance around the edges, it is not enough to completely counter the sinking effect introduced by the intermediate viscoelastic layer, so the lack of edge support is evident when you compare it against the Saatva.

All things considered though, for a viscoelastic mattress, the Leesa has better than average edge support.

Cooling

Thanks to the convoluted design of the Avena® foam that is present right underneath the cover, the Leesa is able to conduct heat away from your body more effectively than is the norm for viscoelastic products. However, the mattress still is slower at heat dissipation on average when considering all the mattresses out there in the market.

In the cooling department, there is no clear winner between the Saatva and the Leesa.

Unique Features

Conformity with a dash of bounciness

While the Leesa does have the cushioning factor that people with awkward sleep postures seek, it does this without succumbing to the ‘sinking’ sensation associated with memory foam. The latex-like properties of the Avena® foam present atop the viscoelastic layer ensures that the mattress has some ‘response’ as opposed to the dead-support of viscoelastic foam alone.

One-size-fits-all approach

The Leesa is a middle ground meant for the average consumer who isn’t picky about their sleep preferences. The Avena® foam and underlying memory foam create a balance that should appeal to the vast majority of consumers. Even if it may not be the best option for them, it definitely eliminates much of the hassle associated with looking for a new mattress i.e. market research.

Which One To Get?

Saatva

The Saatva is the better choice if:



You enjoy more spring than the bounce in your mattress:If you’re a fan of the stiff, springy response of a conventional innerspring mattress, it is evident that Saatva is a better choice by virtue of the two innerspring coil layers it incorporates. Once again, bear in mind that there will be a slight degree of plushness resulting from the upper layers made from viscoelastic foam!



You want more control over the degree of firmness of the mattress: The Saatva is available in three different firmness levels: plush, luxury firm, and firm, so this gives more freedom to those who are picky about their sleep preferences e.g. back sleepers. They will want a firm mattress with lots of push-backs while side sleepers will want a contouring and plush mattress.



Edge support is critical for you: The Saatva is able to offer decidedly better edge support thanks to its springier response and dedicated edge support parameter.



You’re a bulky back or stomach sleeper: Sleeping on your back and stomach concentrates the weight of your body (predominantly centered at your lumbar region) on the mattress, leading to excessive sinkage. Innerspring mattresses are good at countering this thanks to their deep compressive support and stiff response.

Leesa

Conversely, here are some situations where the Leesa will be a better choice:



You want adaptiveness of memory foam but with some response: Thanks to the latex-like qualities of the foam layer superseding the memory foam layer, the Leesa is able to produce a bit of bounce in its initial feel. However, since the viscoelastic layer is still present, you also get the contouring response expected from a memory foam mattress, albeit with a bit less of the typical sinking sensation.



You’re not picky about the mattress you sleep on: The Leesa is designed to give a balanced experience to the widest possible range of sleepers, so if you don’t have the time or will to search for a mattress that suits your particular needs (or don’t have particular needs, to begin with), this one is a safe bet.



You sleep with a partner who has different sleep preferences: It’ll be a compromise since neither of you will be getting the best possible mattress for their preferences, but the Leesa will offer you a decent middle-ground for reasons that I’ve discussed above.



You’re a side sleeper: In my observation, side sleepers want a mattress that offers a cushion for the awkward position they put their spine in, and the two upper layers of the Leesa are able to offer exactly that.

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This was my take on the Saatva vs Leesa debate – I hope that it’ll help you decide which of these two high-quality products to go for. If you have any questions or feedback, leave them in the comments section, and I’ll get back to you soon. Also, remember to share this with any friends who might be getting a new mattress.

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